Perfume is a highly personal choice, with many people choosing to wear perfumes that are specific to their lifestyle, personality and emotions. It can also be used as a way to distinguish oneself in social situations. Choosing the right fragrance can take time and requires careful consideration of the type of scent, the time of day, season and occasion. Perfume is a sophisticated product that combines science and creativity and its creation can be both a time consuming and expensive process.
The process of making perfume involves a number of steps, the first being the extraction and collection of the desired natural oils. These are then blended according to a formula that is predetermined by a master in the field, known as a perfumer or nose. The perfumer mixes the different ingredients to create a final product that is both pleasing and long lasting.
Once the perfume concentrate has been diluted in alcohol, it is then aged for a period of several months to one year. This process allows the perfume to mature and develop its full aroma. During this time, the perfumer may need to make adjustments, such as additional blending, by adding more of certain ingredients or decreasing others.
Perfumes can be made from a variety of natural sources, including flowers, fruit, spices and herbs. In addition, certain animal secretions contain odoriferous properties and are frequently used in perfumes. These include ambergris from the sperm whale; castor oil, also known as castoreum, from beavers; and musk, from musk deer glands. Various types of mosses, resins and coal tar are also used in perfume making.
In the past, perfumes were used to mask body odor. They were popularized by the French King Louis XIV, who was so enamored of perfume that he had a perfume pavilion built in his palace and filled his furniture with scented flowers. It was during this time that the Grasse region in France became a center for perfume production.
Today, perfumes are primarily created in the laboratory using synthetic chemicals instead of natural materials. This allows perfumers to more precisely control the chemical composition of the scent and to produce a wide variety of styles and effects. However, even when derived from synthetic ingredients, perfumes can have health and environmental impacts.
It is important to keep in mind that, whether it is natural or synthetic, the ingredients in perfumes can cause allergic reactions in some individuals. Furthermore, some individual chemicals in perfumes have been shown to be carcinogenic vii and some can have a negative effect on the environment. For these reasons, it is best to limit exposure to perfumes and avoid over-doing the application of them.